Online puzzling of SOMA.

Shane Passon has produced a wonderfull online version of the SOMA puzzle.
Permission has been granted, to run this simulator on these SOMA pages. Shanes Web SOMA

You may of course also run the program directly from Shane's webpage at http://www.mathythings.com/soma6.htm
As usual, nothing comes from nothing "except pocket lint".
So here's the story that moved this marvellous game version onto the SOMA pages.

2016-03-24 Shane Passon wrote
I am a big fan of the SOMA puzzle and I appreciate all the puzzles you have put together.
I recently made my own SOMA simulator for people to play with online. I borrowed some of your puzzle patterns for it.
If you would like to see what I put together look here.

I started this project with a completely different goal. I have made several
of these puzzles for friends and I wanted to make a puzzle book to go along with it.

My whole intent was to get high resolution images of interesting patterns of the pieces.
to make my own cards. Then I saw someone had already done the same.
I have some other SOMA projects coming up (hopefully soon). So I might even have something for you to post in the newsletter.

Thanks for putting all this stuff in one place
Shane Passon

2016-03-25 Thorleif Bundgaard wrote
Hi Shane
Thank you so much for your e-mail.
I'm on an Easter vacation road-trip in USA right now (Currently in Nashwille to listen to Country music)
- But I will surely check your web link, and write back to you when I get back to Denmark/Europe. :o)

Friendliest
Thorleif Bundgaard

2016-06-25 Thorleif Bundgaard wrote
Hi Shane
I am very sorry for this late, and long overdue answer,
Your mail had tucked itself into a wrong folder in my mail system.
Fortunately I just found it again. And I checked your web pages.
1. The SOMA page looks very interesting, and you certainly have a very nice looking graphics and an extremely nice graphic control.
I have made myself a note that I will add a Newsletter and link to my SOMA page.
2. Would you consider the option that I might get a copy of your Javascripts and post the entire online puzzler as the content of a "Special Issue Newsletter" ??
3. Your Mathy arts page is very pretty - I teach Math (among others) and I will be sure to share this webpage with my students after the summer vacation :-)

Friendliest wishes
Thorleif Bundgaard

2016-06-28 Shane Passon wrote
Hi Thorleif
Before you post the javascript soma cube project, please look at the two graphical interfaces I have developed.
The first you have seen where you can move an object in the plane perpendicular to the normal vector the handle
is attached to.
The second is slower but more intuitive to many people. Here you can move only along the normals.
See whether one makes more sense than the other.
In a previous version I had key controls and buttons on the page to move the pieces as well
Do you think it would be worth while to include these controls in addition to mouse controls?

I Most recently I used cm cubes (sold in the US mostly to teachers to talk about number systems and
counting manipulatives) to create a class set of color coded soma cubes.
(I altered the color scheme of the page to match the colors I had.)
Then used this in conjection with the puzzles borrowed from your page to explore the reasoning that
we could use to solve the puzzles.
For younger audiences, I showed them the color coded solution (Try pressing the z key on my page)
and letting them assemble from information where inferences about the parts of the pieces that
couldn't be seen had to be made.

I am still writing up lesson plans for these extension activities. I hope to transform my webpage
into a resource that connects abstract mathematical concepts to physical manipulatives where
teachers without a strong math background can be given all the tools they need to explore math
in a more creative and dynamic way.

Also if you have suggestions to improve the mechanics or the aesthics of the page, let me know.

Thanks
Shane

2016-06-30 Thorleif Bundgaard wrote
Hi Shane
Your Math project sound interesting, when they become reality I will surely take a look.
For the SOMA versions
This is really difficult you know.
...
I would appreciate a key to chose the coloring scheme (Your centicubes or my web color scheme)
... ...

At this point followed series of mails, exchanging views upon the user interface and colors in several program versions.
Eventually resulting in the marvellous version of the puzzle that you see now.

A big thank you to Shane. :o)

Written by Shane Passon. <scpasson@yahoo.com>Adjusted by Thorleif Bundgaard <thorleif@fam-bundgaard.dk>